Mantle joined the New York Yankees in 1951 as a 19-year-old, and retired in 1968, unquestionably the most popular athlete in the Big Apple. In that time he hit 536 home runs (nowhere near the record), some of them prodigious smashes that probably traveled over 600 feet and many that went at least 500 feet. Gallagher, author of three previous books on the Bronx Bombers, is obviously an idolator of Mantle and here traces the ballplayer's career by focusing on his home runs. Additionally, he appends a statistical table of some 100 pages listing every blow by date, place, game score, Mantle's position in the batting order, etc. Most fans won't find such a microscopic examination worth their time. Photos not seen by PW. (February)